I'm gonna fight 'em off. A seven nation army couldn't hold me back.

— Seven Nation Army, The White Stripes

━━━━━━ October 15, 2149

"COME ON, THESE FOXHOLES aren't gonna build themselves! All the gunpowder we're wasting, we could be making more grenades!" Bellamy shouted above ground.

⠀⠀⠀Casey worked down in the foxholes as the camp had moved into high gear to prepare for the oncoming attack. Foxholes were dug, food was rationed, and weapons were made. It was a brutal day of preparation as the sun beamed down on them, and the wind hadn't breezed through for the better part of the morning. Sweat beaded against Casey's forehead as she wiped it away. She slammed her boot into the edge of her makeshift shovel and continued, pressing herself to work harder.

⠀⠀⠀It had been a stressful night. Finn, Clarke, and Monty were all missing, and they didn't have time to worry about them because they'd all be dead come morning.

⠀⠀⠀"You want to come over here and test one?" Raven asked over the heads of the teenagers. Casey's head snapped to the attention of her voice. She had been talking to Bellamy.

⠀⠀⠀Raven had become guilt-ridden over her spontaneous relationship with Casey to escape her feelings of jealousy, which only made Casey feel worse to know she was just a rebound. (Although she had known that was the case the moment she walked in.)

⠀⠀⠀BANG!

⠀⠀⠀The camp jumped in alarm, everyone already on edge that they didn't consider that the Grounders didn't have guns. There was a layer of thick silence followed by Bellamy's boots sinking into the ground as he marched over to the foxholes.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey!" he shouted, finding Sterling scrambling nervously with his gun pinned to his chest. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry, man," Sterling said, his spine straightening like a soldier's. "I fell asleep. I've been on watch all day."

⠀⠀⠀"We've all been on watch all day!" Bellamy yelled back, the stress getting to him as it had everyone else. "That was one less dead Grounder."

⠀⠀⠀"Bell," Octavia called, cautiously approaching her brother. "You're scaring people."

⠀⠀⠀"They should be scared!" Bellamy claimed, throwing his arm out in front of him. "The bomb on the bridge bought us some time to prepare, but that time is up! The Grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave and picking us off one by one when we do! Clarke, Finn, and Monty are gone—probably dead—and if you want to be next, I can't stop you. But no guns are leaving this camp! This camp is the only thing keeping us alive! Get back to work!"

⠀⠀⠀Casey sighed as she returned to her foxhole.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING up here?" Jasper's voice floated into the dropship.

⠀⠀⠀Casey peeled an eye open, her arms crossed over her chest, and legs crossed in front of her. She watched Jasper pull himself inside with a slight grimace. The hole in his chest still had to hurt. He raised a brow, and she smiled weakly.

⠀⠀⠀"Octavia said she watched me shovel dirt on Laura for an hour. She finally came over and told me I'm too 'distracted' and that I need a 'break'," Casey explained, lowering her voice to mock her friend as she quoted her. She even threw up air quotes to emphasize her point. She rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. "She pushed me in here before Bellamy noticed. What about you?"

⠀⠀⠀Jasper smiled thinly as he walked over to a table and held up a can. With a dramatic flourish and mocking tone, he pronounced, "Gunpowder for Sir Blake's army!"

⠀⠀⠀The pair laughed, the stress leaving their bodies for one brief moment before another sound floated between them. Struggling, choking gasps interrupted their amusement and made them both thence. Casey raised a finger to her lips. She moved into a crouch, silently moving across the floor like she had done thousands of times, eavesdropping on her mom's conversations.

⠀⠀⠀She glanced back at Jasper, who stared at her wide-eyed and mouthed, "Stay here."

⠀⠀⠀She slid down the ladder with ease, her boots making a quiet thud that was masked by the choked sobs. She turned, her heart dropping, as Murphy wrapped a plastic bag over Myles' head. Casey's momentary hesitation lapsed as anger seized her body, and she flung herself into Murphy, knocking him to the ground.

⠀⠀⠀Myles sucked in air as Casey used her momentum to roll herself and Murphy across the dropship floor. In a blind rage, he pulled himself off of her and punched her across the nose. Her mouth filled with iron, and she stumbled back. Murphy stared at her with wide eyes before panic settled. His hand gripped a gun, and he used the butt of it to knock her out. As her mind flashed to black, she noted this was the second time he had done that.

MURPHY'S HEART RACED AS he stared at Casey's crumpled body on the floor. He had been so consumed by his revenge plot that he hadn't even realized it was her until it was too late. Then, he took it a step further and knocked her out. She would've run out and told her best friend Bellamy all about what happened, anyway. He noticed how much closer they had gotten since Murphy had been banished, and in a way, he felt betrayed.

⠀⠀⠀Being back at the dropship camp felt wrong. All these people had tried to hang him—all but Casey—and they got to fight to survive. Murphy didn't believe in that. He believed they should suffer.

⠀⠀⠀As he was about to move Casey to a more comfortable position, another thud ruptured against the floor. Murphy's eyes darted to the ladder where Jasper stood, watching with his jaw slack and a dopey look. Murphy grit his teeth. He could convince Casey to understand, but Jasper would fuck up everything. He should have killed him when he had the chance.

⠀⠀⠀"He stopped breathing! I was... I was trying to help him," Murphy explained.

⠀⠀⠀Both of them knew he was full of shit. Jasper watched him, his eyes glancing at the gun that had fallen from his grip. He lunged forward, but Murphy got it and raised it at Jasper. He wasn't afraid to shoot when it wasn't Casey on the other end.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper immediately raised his hands, visibly sweating. "Murphy, just put the gun down."

⠀⠀⠀"He-He tried to kill me," Murphy said, his voice cracking. He looked back at Myles; a thousand miles away from the door, he believed he was going to die. In the corner of Murphy's eye, Jasper moved. He quickly repositioned the gun to train on Jasper. He scowled, hissing, "Hey, don't move."

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Jasper said softly, holding one hand back up. "Okay, it's cool."

⠀⠀⠀"No, it's not," Murphy sighed. His head tipped to the side as he exhaled a deep breath through pursed lips. "You know what'll happen to me if you tell Bellamy."

⠀⠀⠀Static filled the room, and then Bellamy's voice crackled through the radio stuffed in Jasper's pocket. "Tell Bellamy what?"

⠀⠀⠀Murphy froze, his teeth grinding to a halt as he glared at Jasper. He should have known better when he'd left one hand in his pocket.

⠀⠀⠀"Give me the radio, Jasper," Murphy demanded.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper moved slowly so as to not get a reaction out of Murphy. Then, he whipped the radio up to his mouth and screamed, "MURPHY HAS A GUN. HE KILLED MYLES AND KNOCKED OUT CASE—"

⠀⠀⠀Murphy knocked Jasper out before he could finish. He was dead. Fuck! He looked around, trying to find his exit. He spotted the levers by the door and pulled them. The gears groaned as footsteps came to a halt just outside. Murphy was trapped while everyone was left outside.

⠀⠀⠀"Murphy, what the hell are you doing?" Bellamy screamed, his fist pounding against the door. "Murphy! Murphy! Open the damn door!"

⠀⠀⠀"YOU TRY TO BE A HERO, JASPER DIES!" Murphy cried back.

CASEY WOKE FROM HER daze and leaned against the wall of the dropship. If she didn't open her eyes, she could think she was still upstairs, dozing off for a break from the foxholes. Jasper groaned from across the room, and her eyes peeled open to see Murphy tying a gag on him.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy stood, head bowed, before he noticed Casey watching him. He scowled, his blue eyes icy as he tried to keep the rough exterior up for her. Her eyes peeled back the layers, seeing the boy who felt revenge was his only option to feel in control. After his parents died, he set the arresting officer's office on fire in a form of revenge. She knew this was an attempt at that recreation, to correct things for himself. Albeit, this was worse than arson.

⠀⠀⠀"John, what the hell are you doing?" she hissed, her gaze narrowing.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy swallowed, his voice rough as he looked at her. "I didn't have a choice, Casey. They already tried to kill me once. What was I supposed to do, just let it happen again?"

⠀⠀⠀"Show that you learned from your mistakes, not make them worse," she said, tone laced with frustration. "You're just giving them more reason to cast you out. This won't fix anything."

⠀⠀⠀"This isn't about fixing things. It's about surviving," Murphy snapped, face hardening as he stared at her.

⠀⠀⠀Casey took in a deep breath, letting her anger subside as she saw her fearful brother underneath the mask. "Surviving doesn't mean this, John. There's another way."

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe for you, Casey. But not for me," he said, his expression a mix of guilt and defiance. His jaw clenched, and he looked back at the dead body on the table. "They already see me as a target, someone they'd rather see dead. I just... I can't let that happen again."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy walked away from Myles and squatted down in front of Casey. He stared at her, his hand reaching up to her face to brush away the hair that had fallen. She flinched away, noticing the throb in her nose from where he'd punched her, and scowled.

⠀⠀⠀"I didn't want you to see me like this," he whispered, bowing his head as he retracted his hand.

⠀⠀⠀Before she could fight him further, he took the cut seat belt and shoved it into her mouth like a gag as he had done to Jasper. He knew she had a way to get under his skin and show him who he was, not this angry person stitched together by bad endings. He had threatened to kill Clarke at the cliff for that very reason.

⠀⠀⠀Casey glared at Murphy, angry that he was too weak to even listen to her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and lightly kissed her forehead as if to promise something to her. She reared back, slamming her head against his in a faint hope he might go unconscious and she could figure something out.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy only fell on his ass, scowled at Casey, and stood as the radio on Myles' body cracked to life.

⠀⠀⠀"Murphy, I know you can hear me. All our ammo and food is in the middle level. You know that. You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack. You're leaving Casey vulnerable. I can't let that happen."

⠀⠀⠀If Casey could smirk, she would. Bellamy was a decent leader with poor decisions, in her opinion, but he was good with people. He knew how to twist the knife and bend people to their mortal folly. Murphy didn't care for much, but he cared for her, and Bellamy knew that. Casey was only slightly impressed.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now," Murphy retorted, attempting to keep his upper hand.

⠀⠀⠀"Come on, Murphy. You don't want to hurt Jasper or Casey. You want to hurt me. So, what do you say? How about you trade Jasper for me and let Casey go. I know you don't want her to see you like this."

⠀⠀⠀It was like Bellamy had been listening to their conversation. Maybe he had. Murphy looked at Jasper, then Casey with only a glimmer of guilt in his eye. She could see him considering Bellamy's offer. Murphy would have called it an unfair trade if it had been anyone else in her place alongside Jasper.

⠀⠀⠀"All you have to do is let them go, and I'll take their place."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy snapped back to the radio and asked, "How?"

⠀⠀⠀"Simple. You open the door. I walk in, they walk out."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy obliged his request, opening the door to the dropship. Casey could feel the blood cracking against her skin and begin to wet again as stressed tears stained her cheeks. She didn't know if Bellamy could survive Murphy's rage alone.

⠀⠀⠀"Just you, Bellamy, unarmed!" Murphy shouted at the opening. The tarp hung between them and the outside world so that they were still separated. "Ten seconds, or I'll put one in Jasper's leg! One... Two... Three... Four... Five..."

⠀⠀⠀"I'm here!"

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy stepped inside a second after that. His eyes flitted from Jasper to Casey in their opposite corners, but his expression remained neutral. Murphy pulled Jasper to his feet first, shoving him out of the door without a second thought. Then, he walked over to Casey to help her with a more tentative hand.

⠀⠀⠀Casey, worried about leaving Bellamy alone, started to rear her head again. But, her eyes caught Bellamy's determined gaze. He looked calm, and the soft nod he sent her reassured her he had a plan. He mouthed, "Find Raven," to her before she was led off the dropship.

CASEY DARTED TO RAVEN'S tent, ignoring the tension in her stomach. The stress was tearing gaping holes at her skin as she had to push herself out of the impulse to check for anyone else hurt around the camp. Her eye twitched as her fingers brushed the opening, and her head whispered devil thoughts to try to push her away. The situation was too dire. She needed to help Bellamy. She was afraid this decision to ignore her mind would have consequences she hadn't seen before.

⠀⠀⠀"What do you have?" Casey asked, stepping inside. Her fingers ticked against her thigh, the only thing keeping her present.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry?" Raven asked, glancing back at her for a minute before her lips turned into a frown.

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy said to find you. I want to help," Casey explained. She rocked on her heels. She wanted to help, but what help could she provide? She was useless...

⠀⠀⠀Raven sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as if Casey was just an extra load she didn't want to consider. Slowly, Raven nodded her head despite the tension in her shoulders. She left the tent, nodding her head to indicate Casey should follow. She did, jogging just to keep in step as they walked swiftly around the backside of the dropship.

⠀⠀⠀"Jasper's helping, too. Probably feels guilty," Raven said off-handedly.

⠀⠀⠀Casey couldn't blame him. What the hell was she feeling if not guilt? It lined her insides and pulled her down. If Bellamy hadn't pointed her in the right direction, she would've found a way inside the dropship herself.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey," Raven called out, smiling, albeit nervously. "It's not your fault."

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded for Raven's sake, but she wasn't so sure. Raven touched her arm before they continued around the corner.

⠀⠀⠀"What's she doing here?" Jasper hissed, glaring.

⠀⠀⠀Casey wilted at the realization that Jasper held her responsible for Murphy's actions, too. He saw an extension of what caused his feelings and didn't want Casey anywhere near him. Even after all they had been through. It hurt, but those feelings didn't matter right now. Bellamy mattered. That was all.

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy sent her. We're wasting time," Raven snapped.

⠀⠀⠀She pulled the back panel off of the dropship and crawled inside on her stomach. Jasper followed her, then Casey. When they were able to crouch underneath the metal grating, Casey's eyes started to adjust. Wires hung from the ceiling after they had snapped on the descent, and large tanks of chemicals, unimpaired, hung above them.

⠀⠀⠀"Very cool," Raven whispered.

⠀⠀⠀"Stop thinking like a mechanic and find me something to shoot through," Jasper snapped impatiently.

⠀⠀⠀"This mechanic is gonna hot wire the door," Raven retorted. She laid on her back and opened a panel in the siding.

⠀⠀⠀Casey sat beside Raven, not sure what to do but to be some kind of moral support. However, she didn't know how good she could be at that as she battled herself not to spiral. The numbers one, two, three, four ticked inside her head at an uncountable pace.

⠀⠀⠀"There's the hatch," Jasper said in a hushed voice, standing on the opposite side of the room, staring up at the ceiling.

⠀⠀⠀"Locks from above. Forget it," Raven said, closing the panel she'd been working on and moving to the next.

⠀⠀⠀"I give you an order, you follow it, right?" Bellamy's voice filtered in faintly.

⠀⠀⠀"Damn it! He's up there because of me," Jasper spat loudly, raising his hands and slapping them back at his sides.

⠀⠀⠀"Shh, help me find the door circuit," Raven whispered.

⠀⠀⠀"We lost, Clarke. We can't lose Bellamy, too," Jasper continued.

⠀⠀⠀Casey was worried about Bellamy, but it wasn't their fault he was up there. At least, she had to remind her brain that. She had hoped Jasper would have his screwed on right.

⠀⠀⠀She moved toward him, clamping her hand over his mouth, and hissed, "Shut the hell up, Jasper."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper glared back, and she thought he was about to bite her hand when Raven added, "She's right. They are, like, right above your head."

⠀⠀⠀"Good," Jasper whispered, moving out of Casey's grip. He shot her a look and then stared up at the ceiling, his hands gripping the gun by his waist. "I'll have to shoot through the floor. I just need to figure out where Murphy is."

⠀⠀⠀"We're not killing him," Casey whispered.

⠀⠀⠀"You're defending him?" Jasper asked, his glare hardening. "What, because he's your brother?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey's jaw tightened, and she clenched her fists so the nails bit into the flesh.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm just saying there's another way to handle this," she said.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, really?" Jasper shot back, moving in so that they were nose-to-nose. "Because every time Murphy screws up, it's the rest of us who pay the price. Who else has to die to keep him alive? Bellamy?"

⠀⠀⠀"I know what he's done, Jasper, I'm not blind to it. We've all done—"

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, don't give me that bullshit, Casey," Jasper sneered, rolling his eyes. "It's easy for you to say when he's your brother. If it was anyone else, you wouldn't say shit."

⠀⠀⠀"You don't get it... I'm just—I'm just trying to keep us from going down a path we can't come back from," Casey said, but even she could hear the lie in her voice.

⠀⠀⠀"When are you going to stop pretending he's worth saving?" Jasper asked with a bitter laugh.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't want to lose any more of us. We're supposed to be in this together," Casey said, voice cracking. She couldn't lose anyone else. She couldn't lose John Murphy.

⠀⠀⠀"Tell that to Bellamy," he said, voice cold, eyes steel.

⠀⠀⠀Casey's gaze dropped as the weight of Jasper's words fell on her shoulders. She felt guilty for allowing Murphy's banishment, leading him to torture, only for him to come back hated more. She wished it was different. She wished it was all different!

⠀⠀⠀Jasper positioned his gun above, trying to position it to the voices, but was ultimately stopped by Raven.

⠀⠀⠀"Bad idea," she said. Her fist hit against a chemical tank that read: HYDRAZINE, HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. The liquid inside sloshed around, catching Raven's attention. "Holy crap. There's tons of it."

⠀⠀⠀"The engines fired late on the way down," Jasper said, his eyes widening as he stared at Raven. "We can make more bombs."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah. Put that on our to-do list," Raven noted. Her expression turned serious as he pointed her finger at him and said, "But from now on, no shooting. You got me?"

⠀⠀⠀Jasper nodded.

⠀⠀⠀A loud bang echoed from above.

⠀⠀⠀"That's good. Then do what I said," Murphy's voice filtered down from above.

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy? Bellamy! Are you okay?" Octavia asked, quieter as she was transmitted through the radio.

⠀⠀⠀"You want her to know you're alive? Start tying," Murphy said, amusement lacing his tone.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm fine. Just a misfire. Now stop worrying about me and get back to work, all of you... and tell Raven to hurry her ass up!" Bellamy shouted loud enough for everyone to hear him.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper and Casey looked to Raven at Bellamy's double-sided comment.

⠀⠀⠀"Alright, that's long enough," Murphy sneered, metal clanking as he tossed the radio aside. "Now, get up and toss it over."

⠀⠀⠀"Get that door opened," Jasper hissed to Raven.

⠀⠀⠀She nodded, searching for the door circuit again.

⠀⠀⠀"What do you want me to say?" Bellamy asked, metal clinking against each other. "You want me to apologize? I'm... I'm sorry."

⠀⠀⠀"You've got it all wrong, Bellamy," Murphy said. "I don't want you to say anything. I want you to feel what I felt, and then... then I want you to die."

⠀⠀⠀Raven found the door circuit. Although, to Casey, it looked like every other panel she had opened.

⠀⠀⠀"This is insane. The Grounders could—"

⠀⠀⠀Another sharp bang echoed through the room. Casey flinched. She paused, listening for the shocked gasp or slam of Bellamy's body against the floor. Thankfully, none of that came as Murphy still had a few warning shots left in the chamber.

⠀⠀⠀"We need to do this," Jasper stated urgently. "Now."

⠀⠀⠀"I'm working as fast as I can. The wires for the door are mixed in with the ignition system. Sparking the wrong one could be bad," Raven explained quickly and unrelentingly. Her eyes were glued on the panel as she picked through the wires.

⠀⠀⠀"Pull it over your head," Murphy demanded.

⠀⠀⠀There was a beat of silence.

⠀⠀⠀"Happy now?" Bellamy asked in a deadpan tone.

⠀⠀⠀"You're so brave, aren't you?" Murphy asked mockingly. "I mean, you came in here thinking you're just gonna turn this whole thing around, that you were stronger than me and maybe one of your friends would come and help you. Well, what are you thinking now, Bellamy? Hm?"

⠀⠀⠀Tension hung in the air as Murphy's voice echoed through the dropship, his words cutting sharper than any blade. Raven's brow glistened with sweat, and Casey felt like she was about to pass out from the situation.

⠀⠀⠀"You know, I've got to hand it to you, Bellamy. You got them all fooled. They actually look up to you," Murphy continued, his tone full of venom. "Even Casey seems to respect you now. But we both know the truth, don't we? You're a coward. I learned that the day Casey came back from the acid fog and told me she killed Atom instead of you."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy's words struck her like a poison-tipped dart, freezing Casey in her place. Her mind went blank, every nerve numbing as his taunts used her own actions against Bellamy. She clenched her fists, jaw tightening, numbers rattling around in a countdown to her own demise.

⠀⠀⠀Raven's voice broke through the chaos as she announced, "I think I found it." She held up a bundle of wires with a flicker of triumph. She looked over at Jasper. "Get outside. Be ready when the door opens."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper nodded and slipped out, leaving Casey and Raven alone.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm staying," Casey insisted, her voice low and resolute as she moved in closer.

⠀⠀⠀Raven glanced at her, then nodded.

⠀⠀⠀"Hold these steady," she instructed, focused on the panel. Casey held her breath as Raven twisted the stripped wire, carefully slotting it into place. A sudden crackle of electricity sparked, making them both flinch.

⠀⠀⠀Then came the sharp click of a gun. Without warning, gunfire tore through the metal floor with an explosive noise reverberating in the enclosed space. Casey felt a hot, searing plain slice through her chest under her collarbone. She bit down on her tongue, forcing herself to stay silent even as agony washed over her.

⠀⠀⠀When the barrage finally stopped, Casey turned to see Raven sprawled on the floor. She clutched her stomach as a dark stain of blood spread across her shirt. Casey ignored her own pain and crawled to Raven's side, pressing her hands over the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Raven's blood was hot and slick between her fingers, just like Atom's, but she would not let Raven die today.

⠀⠀⠀"Casey," Raven whispered, her breath shallow. Her hand reached up and grasped the back of Casey's neck, pulling her close so she could speak directly into her ear. "Put... Put the stripped wire where the red one was. In the socket. That'll open the door." She paused, gathering her strength. "But... don't let him hear you... if it sparks."

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded, her heart pounding as she rose to her feet. She forced her shaking legs to carry her to the panel, kneeling down with a pained clench of her teeth from the bullet wound in her chest. She grasped the wire Raven had mentioned, willing her hands to stay steady as she worked it into place. Twice, it sparked, the sudden flash making her flinch. She bit down on her tongue until she tasted iron.

⠀⠀⠀The low, mechanical groan of the dropship door unlocking filled the space. Relief flooded through her as she turned back to Raven. She knelt beside her and shrugged off her jacket, pressing it over Raven's wound to slow the bleeding.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm going to pull you out of here," she said, her voice thick with urgency. Her mind could only focus on Raven right now and not anything that would be transpiring above them. "Once we're outside, I'll carry you if I have to."

⠀⠀⠀Raven gave a weak nod despite the obvious pain. Casey gripped both of her hands, then braced herself as she dragged Raven through the tight space. Every muscle screamed in protest as her own wound throbbed. By the time they reached the exit, both girls were gasping, their breaths ragged and shallow.

⠀⠀⠀Raven's eyes fluttered open. With the daylight, she was able to catch sight of Casey's blood-streaked chest.

⠀⠀⠀"You're shot, too," she mumbled. She wiped her hand across her

⠀⠀⠀"Not as bad as you," Casey replied, brushing her off. She moved to lift Raven but swatted her hands away with surprising strength.

⠀⠀⠀"Don't... don't carry me," Raven whispered. "Just... just help me walk."

⠀⠀⠀Casey relented, slipping an arm around Raven's wait and supporting her up as they limped from the back of the dropship. Behind them, an explosion reverberated, but they kept their focus straight ahead, pushing forward without comment.

⠀⠀⠀"Help us!" Raven called out, her voice strained as they neared the camp, where a small crowd had gathered. All eyes turned toward them, taking in the sight of their blood-streaked clothes and battered bodies.

⠀⠀⠀"Get her onto the dropship!" Clarke shouted. Casey had never been happier to hear her voice.

⠀⠀⠀Finn was at Raven's side in an instant, lifting her gently from Casey's grasp. He shot Casey a grateful look, whispering, "Thank you," before rushing Raven inside to tend to her more immediate injuries.

⠀⠀⠀Casey staggered, exhaustion and blood loss finally catching up to her. Her vision wavered, and before she could collapse, a pair of hands steadied her. She turned, seeing Bellamy's concerned face come into view. He was alive!

⠀⠀⠀"Are you okay?" he asked. His gaze lingered on the blood stain that Clarke and Finn had overlooked.

⠀⠀⠀Casey managed a tired smile, waving off his concern with a shaky laugh. "I'm fine. Just... tired," she muttered, swaying slightly as she leaned on him for support. "Are you okay? You're not... a ghost, are you?"

⠀⠀⠀"I think you're losing a little too much blood," Bellamy chuckled. He slipped his arm around her, careful of her wound, as he led her into the dropship for Clarke to look over her.

⠀⠀⠀She had heard the explosion, but she didn't want to ask. Murphy was nowhere, but she didn't want to ask. He was okay, and she did ask. He was okay. Right now, that's all she could allow her mind to focus on.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Happy late-Thanksgiving to all that celebrate! I am so, so grateful for my amazing readers these past three months as I brought this fic back from the dead. Thank you all so much!!

Oh, Casey and Murphy, doomed to be separated at any cost :( I love them so much and writing future seasons where Murphy's motivation changes because he has Casey is really fun to play with.

And hey! Only one more chapter until we're into Season 2. That's honestly so crazy. I'm really excited for next season because I really enjoy how events play out. Plus, I've rewritten (but still need to edit) most of it. I have a few chapters left between editing that and doing a first draft on Season 4. 

Anyway! I'm just excited for the future of this story!

CHAPTER TIME FRAME: Season 1, Episode 12: We Are Grounders (Part 1)

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like, they keep me motivated! However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So, even if you ghost read or comment on every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come to spend your time in this fic ♡

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NEXT TIME: The Grounders have arrived and the 100 will have to fight to survive. Will Casey get caught in the crossfire or taken by mysterious men in gas masks?